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I wrote and illustrated a book! A poetry ebook but still a book! A book all bout mental illness, living in a 21st century society with also an honest account of the ups and downs of life that we are all sure to face and more! I want to take the time in this post to explain a little about my journey to this moment and of course to give you a sample of the book.

Ever since I was a small child I have always loved to write. Be that short stories or poetry, my mind has always been a factory of best selling titles. Unfortunately I just have too much of a busy life to put any of them into your hands. In fact, I have loved writing so much that up until the age of 15/16 I was certain that my future profession would be an author. But my A levels gave me a set back. I was set to do an English and Creative writing degree and had even visited some possible universities for me to complete my course. That was until AS results day rolled around and sat in front of me was: English grade U. This was a huge shock especially when my teachers believed that I was capable of getting a B, maybe even an A. So I chose to retake the exam the following year but decided that chasing an English degree was too risky. Therefore I changed to languages. I'll tell you this much, thank God I swapped because August 2015 rolled around and again a U stared back at me from my results paper. So the dream of writing went down the drain. as my confidence in my ability plummeted. What I didn't realise at the time was that just because I am not great at analysing books or writing essays doesn't mean that I can't write creatively. If I couldn't write then you wouldn't be reading my blog which has had 30,000 views in a little under two years. If I couldn't write then I wouldn't have been able to write speeches that have moved people to tears. If I couldn't write then the idea of a poetry book wouldn't have come into fruition. I guess the point of this little anecdote is that you shouldn't let school grades steer you away from your dreams. Due to not being good at a certain aspect of English I let a school grade shred up my dreams, leaving me feel worthless. Yet here I am 2 years later, acknowledging that whilst I do have weaknesses, I too have strengths when it comes to my writing.

So yes, I wrote a poetry book. Of course poetry isn't everyone's cup of tea but I find it to be a beautifully personal form of art. So i'd like to give you a sample of one of the poems that is in the book. First of all the book is divided into two sections, night and day. These are representations of the darker side of the night we face and the days that are a little easier. It is also a representation of our mental states, the darkness verses the light. I guess it is this idea of Ying and Yang and how in order to grow you have to take both of these sides of life and use them to better yourself.

If you have already bought and read my book I would absolutely love to hear your feedback, positive and negative! If you are going to read the book in the future then please feel free to get in contact with me once you have read it, this can be done through my social media or through my email.

I hope you enjoy the book if it is something you choose you would be interested in reading. And never forget that school grades don't define you or your dreams.

Self love and self care are two concepts that I am really trying to embrace in my life as I think that they are incredibly vital in allowing us to be the best versions of ourselves. This post is actually the first tag post that I have chosen to do and it is for the very specific reason that it is a subject that I believe is important. So here are the tag questions and my answers:

A couple of weeks ago Katy Perry released a YouTube video of her live streaming a therapy session and today I want to discuss why it is an important thing that she has done this, not only for herself but for others.

The Mental Health blogging world is a beautifully comfortable place. A place that I have effectively lived in for the past 9 months and l guess, like a baby, you could say that I have been birthed into a new place which I didn't quite realise was so closed minded. Now I find myself wanting to crawl back into the sheltered place of the blogging community. What am I on about you ask.

We live in a society that is constantly plugged in and it is incredibly hard to switch off. Our self worth is judged on likes on a picture and the amount of followers we have. Our lives are controlled by this small device which constantly finds itself in our palms. However, it wasn't until I began to get calculating that I realised something shocking. If you spend one hour a day on your phone (which is probably the minimum amount of time that anyone uses their phone for), by the end of the year that is 365 hours spent checking a phone. Divide this number by the amount of hours in a day, 24, and you get 15.2. This is how many days of your life are wasted if you spend an hour a day on your phone, half a month. Imagine all the things that you could do in that time. For starters that is the length of a very nice holiday.

I've already spent 2 decades with you and yet only now am I realising you are the most important thing I own. You are my tool to success and without you all else fails. But I haven't treated you with the respect you deserve. Since childhood I have been running around and falling. Small scars remain proof of the school playground were my high pitch squeal would fill the air and a huge smile upon my face.

I'm Angela, a French and Italian student.My journey has led me to become a passionate advocate for mental health and mental illness.I firmly believe education is at the root of everything and so I hope that in this safe space you will learn something.

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Disclaimer

I am not a professional. All advice given on this blog is personal advice or advice that I have heard from other people. This blog should not replace seeking professional help and if you feel you need help them please consult these websites and speak to your GP.